Savers Just Outnumber Fun-lovers, Internationally

Internationally, people with a 'save now' mindset just outnumber people with a 'have fun now' mindset.

GfK asked 27,000 internet users across 22 countries to say how strongly they agree or disagree with the statement "I want to enjoy life today and will worry about savings and investments later".

Internationally, a third (34 percent) of online consumers say they agree - made up of 12 percent who agree completely and 22 percent who agree somewhat. The numbers who disagree are slightly higher, standing at 38 percent overall - including 14 percent who disagree strongly and 24 percent who disagree somewhat. A quarter (25 percent) neither agree nor disagree.

Women more inclined to be savings-minded; men are evenly divided

A third (33 percent) of women agree with enjoying life now and worrying about saving later, but a greater number (40 percent) disagree. Men are more evenly divided with 36 percent agreeing and 35 percent disagreeing.

Twenty-somethings beat teenagers on percentage of fun-lovers

Online consumers aged 20-29 years old have the highest percentage of fun-lovers of any age group, with 41 percent agreeing with having fun now and worrying about saving later. Teenagers (15-19 years old) and those aged 30-39 years old come almost equal at 37 percent and 36 percent respectively. And a quarter (26 percent) of people aged 50-59 years old and 60+ years old also agree with living for today.

On the other end of the scale, the numbers showing a more 'save now' mindset increase fairly steadily with each age group. This starts at a third (34 percent) of teenagers and 20-29 year olds who disagree, and peaks at 43 percent of 50-59 year olds and 42 percent of those aged 60 and over.

Hong Kong only country where the majority favors saving today

Hong Kong stands out as the only country where over half of the online population show a 'save now' mindset. In this country, 54 percent disagree with the idea of enjoying life today and worrying about savings and investments later. The Czech Republic runs second with 49 percent, followed by Brazil with 45 percent.

These findings give financial service brands a top-level picture of the appetite across different countries, age groups and genders for savings and investments products, versus products that support a more 'live for today' mindset, such as instant-access accounts.

Download the full findings: http://www.gfk.com/global-studies/global-study-overview or follow GfK on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GfK